oh boy!

Well, he's a stubborn little bugger, but after 5 sonograms we finally got a definitive answer. My floating uterus made it tough to get good sonogram images (at one point they couldn't even find a baby) and he didn't help matters by keeping his knees together.

But it's a boy! Due Nov 12. I'm feeling pretty good, just kind of tired. And unfortunately in that middle stage where I don't look pregnant to anyone who doesn't know me. To the rest of the world I just look big. Not a great feeling!

So it looks like we need to change the name of this blog, oh and think of a name for a boy. Now accepting suggestions for both :)

New skills = new projects! yay!

My fab friend Jenny started a once-a-month learn-to-quilt group in January. I'm always up for learning new skills so this was the perfect opportunity to ditch my crappy hand-me-down sewing machine. I had always had an old machine and could get by with it, but it was so frustrating to try to sew anything on it. Plus I never really learned the right way to sew anything, so I was pretty limited - not that I let that stop me! I still made Stella's first Halloween costume (Carmen Miranda), curtains, a bedskirt, a duvet cover, a stuffed kayak for my niece, and some other things over the years. I guess you could say that what I lacked in sewing technique I made up for with enthusiasm and a hot glue gun. :)

So I bought a new machine. And dang if it isn't a million times easier to use! Around the same time, I happened to meet a woman who taught sewing lessons. She focused on apparel - yay! Just what I needed. The lessons were so fantastic, everything from understanding fabrics to reading patterns to the little tricks that make things look professional. If she was still giving lessons I would absolutely post her info, but I believe she has moved on.

So this was in January/February... then the morning sickness happened and it was like I spent two months in a coma! I was worried I might forget everything I learned.

I was delighted to find out that this was not the case. Here are some of the things I have made so far:

Pink ruffled top with shorts (and also pants). Made from a pattern, this works well since Stella is dress-obsessed. The ruffles are a good compromise when I want her to wear shorts or pants, she still feels like she's in a dress.

This green dress was also from a pattern, but I changed some things up. It was fully lined with a petticoat, but for a summer dress I just lined the bodice. She wore this to a super fun block party in SLC - it was a surprise for my Grandma. Do I even have to say that we danced all night?

Ok so this is where I started to get a little bit more ambitious - I had a pair of PJ pants that I loved, but they had a tear that made them unwearable. I loved the striped linen-type fabric, so I decided to try to make a dress for Stella out of them. There was not enough fabric to work from a traditional pattern, so I put together an original design. This kind of project is so exciting for me - I mean there is creativity in sewing from a pattern too - finding it, modifying it, choosing the fabrics, colors, textures, etc. - but this is the kind of project that I really love. Sketching something out and then making it real - figuring out all the little engineering details - problem solving... Love the challenge, love the process. This is the kind of thing that gets me so energized! Anyway, here it is. I added a floral print in the same palette for the sash and bottom of the skirt, turned the stripes sideways for the bodice, and attempted my second zipper. The sleeve straps are made from what was the waistband of the pants - it had a pink lace trim that I just had to incorporate somehow. I love Project Runway and this dress was so much fun, just like some of their challenges where they take one thing and turn it into something new.

More to come! I made myself a dress yesterday, but I really need to get a haircut before I can do a photo...

Stella the fish

It has been far too long since I posted an update about my sweet baby girl. She turned 2 in April and has such a fun personality.

She loves to dance, jump and play in the pool. We started swimming lessons this summer and she is doing great. She jumps to you from the side, blows bubbles and even goes underwater for short bits. I was thrilled last week in lessons when she actually swam - ok, "swam" - to the wall. The teacher had me stand about 5 feet from the wall, hold her hips and 1-2-3, launch her forward. She floundered more than she technically swam, but she made it and said "do again?" so I was thrilled! In the fall she'll be able to start classes without me - it will be good to build her water skills, especially for next summer when I will have two little tadpoles...

What else... she is singing, all the time, real songs and ones she makes up herself. She is addicted to pretty dresses and apple juice. She gets so excited if I wear a dress too, and notices when I do my hair. Sadly this does not reflect well on me!!!

I'm happy being home, life is good. Stephen loves his job, I stay busy with freelance projects and my own creative projects - more on that to come...

Round 2

Another reason I can't seem to keep up with things... we are expecting a new baby in November and I am trying to come out of that first trimester haze. All I want to do is sleep!

All my body wants to do is throw up!

And then sleep.

I am down 21 pounds and feel like I don't know what day it is.

Vitamin B6 helps a lot. I know I said it with Stella too, but this time I mean it: I am so not doing this again!

For anyone (guys) who doesn't know what this is like, imagine being seasick. For 7+ weeks straight. And you have to just go on with your day. All this tiredness and not feeling good is really starting to get me down.

Today I had a sonogram, and I know it is such a cliche to say something like this, but it really did make me feel a little better knowing this is all happening for a good reason. I know things will get better soon, but I am having a hard time feeling it. There is definitely an optimist in me, but right now she is tired and weak!!! Send good vibes for me.

I thought I would have more time...

I'm finding it harder to keep this blog updated now that I am staying home. When I do have a spare minute, I seem to spend it on freelance work (yay!) or, even better, hanging out with the hubby. Need to find a way to put this back in my schedule...

I did get rid of the dot template, that makes it at least a bit easier to read. baby steps!

rainy day fun with Wesley

We just love our friend Wes.

This is what happens when you mix a rainy afternoon, Wesley, Stella and the "T-Pain" iPhone app that turns your phone into one of those auto-tune things. Wes created the song (yes that is him singing), this is the two of them dancing to it.

New dance moves

Here is a short clip of Stella Rose learning some new dance moves the other night. We were at a restaurant where all the servers periodically get together and dance - she loved it.

And I know I'm biased and everything, but how many 23-month-olds can pick up new moves this quickly? :)

the orange theory

We were talking with some friends of ours who are also parents, and an interesting subject came up. Turns out that in both their family and ours, the dads tend to want to spoil/indulge the kids more often, while the moms are more consistent with setting limits/boundaries/call it what you will. Stephen related this story, and how he sees it as a metaphor for parenting:

Stella Rose is a huge fruit fan. She will eat two whole oranges in one setting if you let her. We usually cut the oranges into wedges so they are easy for her to eat. We would cut them up, put all 6 or 8 pieces on a plate, and let her go crazy. But, we noticed, she would only take the easiest bites from each piece, then ask for more. So I started handing them to her one wedge at a time. Sure enough, she would eat every last bit of pulp on the piece, then ask for more and repeat the process.

His metaphor here was that if you give a child a great quantity of something (oranges or possessions or treats or whatever), they get so distracted by how many they have, and how much more they can get, that they don't even enjoy it. Whereas if they are given things on a smaller or slower scale, it really enhances the gift - allowing them to focus on it and really enjoy it. I agree.

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

So 2010 is looking like it might be my favorite year so far. Or maybe that is just in comparison to 2009. We were so happy in 2009 - loved having 8 months all together - but frankly, the year just did not look good on paper (death, unemployment, fires, etc.).

We are excited to start this year off with something we were missing for so much of last year - a clear direction! Stephen has accepted a partnership with a web development firm. Turns out he is a much better job searcher than I was.

My approach: Go on vacation. Do some freelance work. Apply for some jobs. Go back on vacation. Get really excited and sidetracked by freelance work. What's that? Time for vacation. Another freelance project? Great, I can do that while on vacation.

Stephen's approach: Get in gear. Apply for job. Get interview for that job. Before nailing that interview, get offered partnership in another small business.

Despite that fact that he totally put me to shame, I am thrilled. It is a great fit - he really wanted to be back in a small-business owner role, but the time and risk of a startup was not a good fit for us right now. He's joined a company that has been around for 10 years and is ready for his contributions. It is just perfect for him. We are both so excited about what is ahead!

So we are in a sense trading places. He was so amazing as a stay-home parent, I have a lot to live up to. I always wanted to have this kind of flexibility, but was very worried. I've been afraid that with my inability to stay still for very long, being a stay-home parent would make me a little crazy. But my freelance work will help. I love it and it loves me. I can manage my clients and workload without having to be in an office all day. And I think that my energy might actually make me a better stay-home parent, since I am very good at thinking up things to do, and am usually organized enough to make things happen. I will also continue to work on my artwork. New commissions are coming in and I am just very happy.

All three of us are very happy. Stella sings a little song, "hap-py hap-py hap-py." Right now, life is good. And the thing is, we've been happy - even last year, even during some incredibly difficult times. I am reminded that sometimes happiness is a decision. I am so lucky to have a wonderful husband and daughter to help me remember that.

drumroll, please...

We had so much fun last year competitively decorating Christmas cookies that we decided to do it again. Results are in, and the winners are:

Best tribute to a Commodores song:

Best alternative use of a shape, bovine division:

Best alternative use of a shape, mug shot division:

Best alternative use of a shape, amphibian division:

Best alternative use of a shape, crafty division:

Best cookie that answers its own question:

Most vertical frosting height

Best traditional cookie:

Best maternal tribute:

Best (attempted) movie tie-in (transformers):

And finally, the Pablo Picasso expressionist award:

Congrats to the winners!

summer adventures, part II (cabin pics)

Stella climbing the stairs inside the cabin.

A beautiful view with Grandma Jenny. Note the cattle drive in the background!

A walk through the aspen.

Sweet cousin time with Kaia. These two were crazy cute together. Kaia was a bit wary at first, but after a few days they would squeal with delight and run to each other.

My dad & Jenny have added a wood-fired hot tub to the list of cabin delights. They got their hands on a wine barrel and made it into a baby version. The girls were in heaven!

Could this be any cuter?

Grandpa & Grandma enjoy their handiwork.

The girls also got quality time with Craig & Sarah (my uncle & aunt) and my cousins Colin & Will.

Spectacular sunset with Grandpa Mike.

Can you believe it? I came back from a bike ride to find Stephen working as part of a fencing crew. Will kept Stella entertained and Stephen got to drive the tractor.

Summer adventures, part I

I should really recap all this before we start to forget! Life is funny these days. We are doing well but looking forward to finding out what this next phase of life is going to be like. We had an awesome summer, lots of traveling (I think like 6 weeks total) - but we are looking forward to putting a bit more predictability in our lives.

In June and July we took a 3 week adventure to SLC-CA-SLC-WY-SLC.

My cousin Brian got married to sweet Allie. They threw a fantastic party and we enjoyed getting to know Allie and her family. They really made us want to move to CA. I know I am biased and all as her mother, but I think all would agree that Stella totally stole the show. We knew this kid liked to dance, but DANG! She was the first one out on the dance floor and DID NOT STOP all night. (14 months old and finally we're starting to see some of me in her, ha!)

People I didn't know would come up to me and say, "Oh, you're Stella's mom, right?" I was so proud. She danced her little booty off and we all had a great time. It was a fantastic wedding and we were so glad to be a part of it.

After the wedding we rented a couple of houses on the Russian River in northern CA. Had wine tasting and family bonding. Turns out that wine tasting is fairly kid-friendly what with having lots of new places to explore, as long as you don't mind getting the kiddo in and out of the car 7,000 times.

We also took a walk through the redwood forest. It was really cool and someone reminded us that it was where they shot the Ewok planet scenes from Star Wars.

Then we invaded the insanely charming town of Sebastopol (and now we want to move there too) for a mini-reunion with some fantastic friends that we hadn't seen for way too many years. It was so great to see Kim and Chris and Dean and Jacqueline and all the progeny. These four are all way ahead of us on the parenting thing, and we were so impressed with their ninja-like skills. Jacqueline in particular had the brilliant idea to get three rooms and a baby monitor - kids sleep on the outside rooms and party in the middle. I was in awe. We had a great time (but I think I get to add Jeffrey Katzenberg to my list of people I want to punch in the face).

Here's our crew, minus the moms, on the train at the world's best park ever:

Dean and sweet little Olin:

Next up was a few days in SLC. I went to my 15 year HS reunion. It was great to see old friends and make new connections. I must admit that I forgot what a cool bunch of people I went to school with. Thanks to the magic of Facebook, it will be much easier to stay in touch this time around.

Then we had the cabin trip. Oh, the cabin... my dad and Jenny built it (themselves, like with actual hammers) on 40 acres of beautiful Wyoming country. Borders a national forest near the Grand Tetons. Aspen grove behind the house. It is extremely well-engineered and very remote. You can drive there in the summer, can't get there at all in Fall and Spring, and in the winter you have to snowmobile or ski in. It is a blast.

Prior to this trip, our little city girl didn't walk on grass, just on sidewalks. Soon enough we had her running through the meadow of wildflowers.

(you know, this post is really long enough. cabin pics coming up next)

Stella rocks the mic

announcing...

(no, its not a baby)

The web site for J. Mandala Studios is now live! 

www.jmandalastudios.com

Or for those who have trouble spelling our name (and when family has a hard time, you know its bad)...

weddingdresspaintings.com. 

Check it out!

PS - you can also become a fan on facebook.

the right way to read a book

Stella shows Stephen what for:

culebra!

Ah, faithful readers, thanks for sticking with us during our summer blog-lapse. We've been traveling a lot but are now home. The wailing and gnashing of teeth may now conclude. We're back and ready to bring you more baby pics and random observations!

But first, we shall briefly summarize our trip sans baby to Culebra. It's a teeny tiny island in the Caribbean, just off the coast of Puerto Rico. It is heaven on earth. There is a teeny tiny town on the island, it has a name, but people just call it "town". There are no resorts. We stayed in a fantastic guest house on the water in town. "Fantastic" here means charming and colorful and air-conditioned. I've been trying to get Stephen here for years, but the prospect of going to the Caribbean without a resort was sort of daunting. (My friend Janet and I fell in love with this place a few years back).

Here's something we learned: if you have a great balcony, but no door to it, you can just build some stairs up to the window and call it a door. No one will mind! Just tell people to duck. This was the "door" to the (fantastic) balcony in our room.

Here is the outside of our guesthouse. It was right on the harbor, where the town is. Everything is walking distance in the town. There are just a few restaurants but they are tasty!

The beach there is amazing, one of the best in the world, it has seriously turned us into beach snobs. I know it sounds silly, but that sand is as soft as powdered sugar. And pristine. Locals come over from PR and spend the day picnicking, but it never really gets crowded. This might seriously be the best beach I will ever visit. One end is calm and good for swimming, you can snorkel right from the beach, and the other end gets some pretty big waves for bodysurfing. Here's Stephen, right before getting totally trashed by that wave:

Our home away from home:

Another thing we learned - this time the hard way. If you think you might get seasick, and you have the choice between a 90 minute ferry ride and a 20 minute flight, spring for the flight! Even if it is scary! We flew back off the island in a propeller plane, here was the view out of my left window. The plane only fit like 6 people and the pilot was right in front of me. They ask you your weight when you make a reservation, and tell you exactly where to sit. You don't dare lie. What a thrill. I was afraid to even turn all the way around to talk to Stephen - in a plane that small you just don't want to be shifting around. 

We also visited San Juan, but the focus of our trip was really the beach. We want to go back as often as possible. Next time I think we could bring Stella, and maybe a cousin or grandparent to help entertain her. Volunteers?

so helpful!

Stella loves her cousin Gabe, she has been trying to teach him to clap and blow kisses. Pretty dang cute!

spaghetti girl

one more reason I love Obama

Last Monday I was laid off from my job, which I loved very much. It was a complete shock. Donations are down, and the organization had to take some pretty drastic measures. 

I had the good fortune to work for a great organization with some truly amazing people. I will miss that and remain a committed supporter. 

But I'm looking forward to what is next. I could use some new challenges, and while this is a horrible time to be laid off, there are a few silver linings. 

Thank you, President Obama, for helping laid-off employees keep their health insurance! Part of the stimulus plan included a provision that allows laid-off employees to pay only 35% of the normal COBRA premiums for the first 9 months. This is the difference between $1467 and $507 per month to continue our health care coverage. For us, this means I can sleep at night. I don't know for sure (yet), but I suspect that $1497 is more than I will get in unemployment. I am sure that for many others, not having this 35% plan would mean going without coverage. Yikes. Especially when you consider that medical catastrophes are one of the leading causes of bankruptcy, losing your house, etc. 

I've made a personal commitment to work out every day that I am between jobs. It will help me stay positive, manage stress, and give me something else to talk about. I'm considering documenting my fitness and weight loss efforts in a public forum. Helps with the accountability. Since finding time to work out was a challenge before, there are no more excuses!

I'm taking a bit of time for some vacations we had already planned, but really am anxious to get into a new position as quickly as possible. Would love to hear ideas if anyone has them!

birthday girl

There is much to say. But so little time! Our rosebud turned one. Somehow she has bloomed from this:

To this:

She may still look like her daddy but she is learning to shake it like her momma.